Why Vitamin D is the best way to survive the winter

Now we’re in January, many of us would have felt the full brunt of what winter has had to throw at us so far.

With dark skies emerging earlier than usual and problematic weather conditions, winter can be grim at the best of times but when these conditions make you ill then it’s far worse!

It’s not uncommon to fall ill during the winter months and the lack of sunshine is one of the main reasons behind this.

Why is Vitamin D a necessity?

Vitamin D isn’t called the ‘sunshine vitamin’ for no reason. The reason why it’s earned this title is that it’s produced when people are exposed to plenty of sunlight, and obviously due to the lack of sunlight during the winter; Vitamin D is hard to come by.

The lack of this vitamin leaves our immune system open to a number of horrible bugs and illnesses. Climates which are located furthest away from the equator are the most greatly affected by a lack of sunlight and are most prone to vitamin D deficiency at this time of the year.

During the winter in the UK we’re lucky to get around 8 hours of sunlight each day, and the effect of this is that we not only become ill but due to a lack of calcium absorption (which is a result of a lack of Vitamin D) our muscles feel weaker too.

Is there an alternative?

Sunlight may be one of our main sources of Vitamin D, but there are a few alternatives you should turn to at this time of year.

We can get our intake of Vitamin D from a number of different foods including fishes such as salmon, mackerel and tuna as well as meats such as beef liver; however there aren’t enough foods that naturally contain substantial levels of Vitamin D.

Interestingly enough, in the United States they’ve faced up to the problem of there not being enough foods which contain high levels of Vitamin D by introducing a number of fortified foods. Amongst this group include fortified products such as milk, margarine and cereals which have now became a main source of vitamin D for many Americans.

Brits however do not share the same privilege as fortified foods are yet to cross over to our shores. Instead the best available alternatives left to Brits are nutritional supplements such as FutureYou, a range of supplements created by Cambridge Nutraceuticals, which fill the void for a lack of Vitamin D produced in the winter.

What are the dangers of a lack of vitamin D?

A weak immune system and weak muscles are not the only problem that occurs when you don’t get a big enough intake of Vitamin D. In severe cases of Vitamin D deficiency horrible diseases such as rickets can occur, but don’t panic Brits, it’s highly unlikely that this will occur due to how developed the United Kingdom is.

Vitamin D deficiency is something that all Brits should be wary of however, as the problem is growing quickly in the UK with a recent survey revealing that over 50% of British adults have a worryingly low level of Vitamin D, while 16% of the adult population having a severe form of the deficiency during the winter and spring seasons.

Why should I rely on Natural Supplements?

The reason why you should trust natural supplements such as the FutureYou range is because they come with a magic ingredient, black pepper.

By taking a supplement that is a mixture of Piperine, a black pepper extract with Vitamin D, your body’s absorption will improve in number of different areas and you will regain both your strength and your health.

Who’s most affected at this time of year?

Everyone can feel the full brunt of winter illnesses due to a lack of Vitamin D, but unfortunately some people are more attracted to Vitamin D deficiency than others. Examples of some of the groups of people who could suffer more this winter include those with darker skin (African, South Asian or Afro-Caribbean origin), pregnant/breastfeeding women, children up until the age of five and those who spend the majority of their day behind closed doors.

Have you been feeling under the weather this winter? Here’s your chance to find the alternative Vitamin D sources you need to counter any horrible illnesses that come your way!